Topless woman grabbed at festival speaks out

A TOPLESS woman who had her breast grabbed at a New Year's Eve music festival in New Zealand says she is not afraid to go topless in public again.

Madeline Anello-Kitzmiller, 20, from Portland, Oregon in the US, spoke out about the incident, which was caught on camera, in a heartfelt online message on her personal Facebook page.

The American-born woman was seen walking through a field with her chest covered in glitter at the Rhythm and Vines festival in Gisbourne, on the east coast of the North Island, when the man ran up behind her.

He grabbed her breast before running off and taking a seat on the grass. She retaliated by hitting him across the head and back as her friend poured a drink over him.

"There's been a tonne of controversy over my actions as well as what I was wearing that day," she said the in the six-minute video.

"I had that body art done at the festival. I paid to have it done, as well as many other girls I saw walking around with it.

"I saw plenty of naked men that day getting absolutely no harassment for revealing themselves. So I have to ask, what is the difference?"

In the video of the incident, Ms Anello-Kitzmiller, who was accompanied by a female friend, is seen chasing after him and striking him several times in the face.

People can be heard reacting in shock, with one woman saying: "I got that all on video."

The footage was later uploaded to Facebook.

Right before the man groped the topless woman's breast.

In her online video, Ms Anello-Kitzmiller said she went topless to normalise the naked body and, despite the incident, she had "the best time of (her) life" at the festival.

"My lack of clothing is not the problem, the problem is people thinking they have the right to touch my body without consent," she said.

"My breasts are not sex toys, they are not an invitation. The problem is not the clothing, stop victim blaming.

"Comments stating that I was asking for it ... are promoting rape culture. I personally love getting naked. The glitter t**s will be coming back."

The video of the indecent, since removed by Facebook, was uploaded with the "Idk who you are glitter booby girl, but you and your sassy friend were the highlight of my RNV experience. Hope you and your party breasts made it home safe."

Anello-Kitzmiller added: "#lookbutdonttouch".

The police have not been contacted over the incident, the NZ Herald reports.